Chilean Ostiones Al Pil-Pil Recipe

Serves/Makes: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds bay scallops
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2-3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced (or to taste)
• 1 ají cacho de cabra or serrano chile, minced or dried (or to taste)
• Salt

How to cook Chilean Ostiones Al Pil-Pil:

• Heat the oil in a sauté pan until almost smoking, and add the chile and garlic.
• When the garlic is almost golden (about 30 seconds), turn the heat to high and add the scallops.
• When the scallops are done (1-2 minutes) and before the garlic turns brown, remove from heat and divide the entire contents among the preheated pailas*. Serve immediately with crusty bread and chilled white wine.

Notes:
Pil-pil is a style of Chilean bocadillo (appetizer, tapa, or hors d’oeuvre) which reflects its Spanish heritage, as it uses lots of olive oil and garlic, but adds a uniquely Chilean ingredient: the cacho de cabra (kid’s horn), which is a piquant red-ripe ají.
Pil-pil is usually associated with seafood such as prawns (gambas al pil-pil), shrimp (camarones al pil-pil), or the huge Chilean crayfish (langostinos al pil-pil).
*Pailas are small pans with two handles which do double-duty as plates, going directly from the stove to the table.

This recipe for Chilean Ostiones Al Pil-Pil serves/makes: 4

Main Ingredient: Scallops
Preparation Method: Appetizer
Cuisine: South American